Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Cache Lake ice thickness report: 03/16/11

We had a visit from a couple of Cache Lakers today. While staying at the cottage for a few days, one of them drilled the customary water hole and then took measurements:

Top layer: 8 inches of firm snow

Middle layer: 14.5 inches of "white" ice

Bottom layer: 5 inches of "black" ice

Required reading for ice-out buffs

They reported that skiing conditions on the lake were excellent, though our driller did observe a thin layer of water-saturated snow on top of the white ice. The surface snow was firm enough to support body weight and keep them out of the slush. Temperatures are mild today but some cold nights are in the forecast, so things will firm up again.

I have been told that while white ice is not as strong as black ice, it takes longer to disintegrate due to its unorganized structure. For a good explanation of the difference, see pages 23-24 of the fascinating bookIce: The Nature, the History, and the Uses of an Astonishing Substance, by Mariana Gosnell. You can view the text online by clicking on that link.

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This blog was started in 2005 to post weather updates, ice out predictions, fall colours reports, fish stories, tall tales and anything else we thought might be interesting to our customers and anyone else considering a visit to Algonquin Park. Feel free to read old posts on a variety of subjects by clicking on any of the key word labels in the box below.